Chewing gum comprising polyethylene

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a chewing gum comprising at least one polyethylene (PE) polymer in an amount from about 15% to about 99% by weight of the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum, at least one synthetic elastomer chosen from the group of Polyisobutylene (PIB), Butyl Rubber, Polyisoprene and Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) in an amount from about 1% to about 85% by weight of the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum and wherein said at least one polyethylene polymer has a molecular weight (Mw) above 25,000 g/mol.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a chewing gum comprising polyethylene.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Polyethylene polymers are known from a number of applications in theprior art. In relation to chewing gum formulations, polyethylenepolymers have shown the ability to soften and to prevent tackiness ofchewing gum manufactured in formulations comprising resins, elastomers,fillers, waxes and flavours.

Previously, however, chewing gum formulations with suitable chewing gumcharacteristics comprising a combination of polyethylene polymers andsynthetic elastomers have not been presented.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a chewing gum comprising at least onepolyethylene (PE) polymer in an amount from about 15% to about 99% byweight of the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum, at leastone synthetic elastomer chosen from the group of Polyisobutylene (PIB),Butyl Rubber, Polyisoprene and Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) in anamount from about 1% to about 85% by weight of the elastomeric polymercontent of said chewing gum and wherein said at least one polyethylenepolymer has a molecular weight (Mw) above 25,000 g/mol.

THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings ofwhich

FIG. 1 illustrates the result of a sensory evaluation test wheresoftness intensity is investigated for chewing gums with and without PE,

FIG. 2 illustrates the result of a sensory evaluation test wheresweetness intensity is investigated for chewing gums with and withoutPE,

FIG. 3 illustrates the result of a sensory evaluation test whereelasticity intensity is investigated for chewing gums with and withoutPE.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to the present invention it has surprisingly been found thatpolyethylene in combination with another synthetic elastomer possessesuseful elastomeric abilities in a broad range of PE-content of theelastomeric polymer content of the chewing gum.

Furthermore it has been found, that in order for the polyethylene to actas an elastomer or provide the desired robustness to the gum base or thefinal chewing gum it is preferred for it to have a molecular weight (Mw)above about 25,000 g/mol.

Without being bound by theory it is believed that for chewing gumscomprising polyethylene having molecular weights below about 25,000g/mol the result is that desired elasticity may be very difficult toobtain, resulting in a plastic feeling when chewed and the releaseprofile of in particular hydrophilic chewing gum components may becometoo sudden whereas a molecular weight above the designated limit mayresult in a more constant release of hydrophilic components, thereby inparticular avoiding that hydrophilic chewing gum components are releasedmuch too fast during the initial phase of the chewing.

The use of polyethylene is in particular interesting from an economicalpoint of view. This is due to the fact that polyethylene is a low-costpolymer and hence the replacement of more expensive elastomers bypolyethylene is advantageous. With the economical goal in mind, achewing gum with identical properties than a comparative chewing gum isinteresting for producing a chewing gum.

A cheaper chewing gum might be attractive all over the world; however itis obviously most advantageous on markets, where consumers graduateprice over quality.

According to the invention the further synthetic elastomer may bePolyisobutylene (PIB), Butyl Rubber, Polyisoprene, Styrene ButadieneRubber (SBR) or any combination of these. These have all proven able toprovide sufficient elastomeric properties in combination with highamounts of polyethylene.

In an embodiment of the invention said polyethylene polymer is at leastpartly elastomeric.

Preferably the polyethylene in the chewing gum is elastomeric and atleast partly elastic properties of the polyethylene are requiredaccording to the invention. However in order to obtain an acceptableelasticity of the chewing gum, the polyethylene polymer does notnecessarily have to be fully elastic as the supplementing additionalsynthetic elastomer may provide the necessary elastomeric properties aslong as the molecular weight of the PE is above 25,000 g/mol (Mw).

If the molecular weight of the PE becomes too low a high amount ofsupplementary elastomers may be used to avoid that the undesiredproperties of PE dominates the final chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention said polyethylene polymer is apolyethylene elastomer.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises at leastone polyethylene polymer in an amount from about 20% to about 90% byweight of the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum.

The amount of polyethylene polymer in the chewing gum should be 15% to99% by weight of the elastomeric polymer content, preferably 15% to 95%by weight of the elastomeric polymer content, more preferably 20% to 90%by weight of the elastomeric polymer content, even most preferably 25%to 85% by weight of the elastomeric polymer content.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the amount of polyethylenepolymer is in the range of 25%-80%, preferably 30%-70% by weight of theelastomeric polymer content of the chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises at leastone polyethylene polymer in an amount from about 30% to about 80% byweight of the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention said at least one polyethylene polymerhas a molecular weight (Mw) above 45,000 g/mol.

Although the Mw of 25,000 g/mol for the applied polyethylene polymer hasbeen found to be lower limit for obtaining an acceptable elasticity ofthe chewing gum, a molecular weight (Mw) above 35,000 is preferred,above 45,000 g/mol more preferred. Even more preferred is a molecularweight (Mw) above 55,000 g/mol.

Thus, an increased molecular weight of the PE, preferably above about45,000 g/mol (Mw), may in practice result in a more robust gum base withreduced undesired plasticity if the synthetic elastomers according tothe invention are mixed together with the PE in the final gum base ofchewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention said at least one polyethylene polymerhas a molecular weight (Mw) above 65,000 g/mol.

Molecular weights (Mw) above 65,000 g/mol are preferred, even morepreferably the molecular weights (Mw) of the polyethylene polymers areabove 75,000 g/mol.

It is believed that the higher the molecular weight of the usedpolyethylene, the lower is the need for keeping the molecular weight ofthe further synthetic elastomers high.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises saidpolyethylene polymer in an amount from 1% to 30% by weight of thechewing gum.

The lower limit according to the present invention relies on thenecessity of a certain part of the chewing gum being constituted byelastomeric polymers, and at least a part of the conventional elastomersshould be replaced with PE.

On the other hand, there is an upper limit of the PE-content above whichthe chewing gum properties may not be acceptable according to theinvention.

The amount of polyethylene present in the chewing gum is favorable below30%, preferably below 20%, more preferably below 10% by weight of thechewing gum. Most preferably the amount of polyethylene present in thechewing gum is between 1.5% and 4%.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises saidpolyethylene polymer in an amount from 1% to 60% by weight of the gumbase, preferably in an amount of 1% to 40% by weight of the gum base.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises saidpolyethylene polymer in an amount from 1.5% to 30% by weight of the gumbase.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises saidpolyethylene polymer in an amount from 2% to 15% by weight of the gumbase.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises saidpolyethylene polymer in an amount from 1.5% to 25% by weight of thechewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises saidpolyethylene polymer in an amount from 2% to 20% by weight of thechewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention said at least one polyethylene polymeris chosen from the group of LDPE, MDPE, VLDPE and LLDPE.

Polyethylene is typically classified according to the density of thepolymers. Preferred classes to be used according to the presentinvention is LDPE (low density PE), MDPE (medium density PE), VLDPE(very low density PE) and LLDPE (linear low density PE). These classeshave densities for polyethylenes lying in the range of about 0.880 g/cm³to about 0.940 g/cm³.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises at leasttwo polyethylene polymers selected from the group consisting of LDPE,MDPE, VLDPE, LLDPE or any combination thereof.

In an embodiment of the invention said at least one polyethylene polymerhas a density between 0.880 g/cm³ and 0.940 g/cm³.

In an embodiment of the invention said at least one polyethylene polymerhas a crystallinity of less than 70%.

The crystallinity of the polyethylene polymer may be of great importancefor the characteristics of the final chewing gum product. A polyethylenewith a very high crystallinity may result in a more plastic product.Hence a crystallinity of less than 70% is preferred.

In an embodiment of the invention said at least one polyethylene polymerhas a crystallinity of less than 50%.

In an embodiment of the invention said at least one polyethylene polymerhas a crystallinity of less than 30%.

In an embodiment of the invention said at least one polyethylene polymerhas a crystallinity of less than 10%.

In an embodiment of the invention said at least one polyethylene polymerhas a crystallinity of less than 1%.

In an embodiment of the invention said at least one polyethylene polymeris amorphous.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises a gum base,wherein said gum base comprises the water insoluble part of said chewinggum.

A chewing gum typically comprises a gum base, insoluble in water, whichis the chewable basis for the chewing gum and typically comprises a highratio of polymers. The remaining ingredients in the chewing gum aretypically sweeteners, flavor etc. which are soluble in water, and hencemay be solubilized by the saliva in the mouth of the consumer.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises syntheticand/or natural resin in an amount of about 5 to about 70% of said gumbase.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises syntheticand/or natural resin in an amount of about 20 to about 55% of said gumbase.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises syntheticand/or natural resin in an amount of about 1 to about 50% of saidchewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises syntheticand/or natural resin in an amount of about 3 to about 25% of saidchewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises syntheticand/or natural resin in an amount of about 5 to about 20% of saidchewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention the synthetic resin is PVA or terpeneresins or any combination thereof.

In an embodiment of the invention the synthetic resin is a polyolefin.

In an embodiment of the invention the natural resin is ester gum.

In an embodiment of the invention the synthetic and/or natural resinshave a molecular weight (Mn) of about 500 to about 200,000 g/mol.

In an embodiment of the invention the synthetic and/or natural resin hasa molecular weight (Mn) of about 500 to about 50,000 g/mol.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises a mixture ofsynthetic and/or natural resins in a ratio between 1:20 and 20:1.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises said atleast one further synthetic elastomer in an amount of about 1% to about80% by weight of the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises said atleast one further synthetic elastomer in an amount of about 2% to about70% by weight of the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises said atleast one further synthetic elastomer in an amount of about 2% to about50% by weight of the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises said atleast one further synthetic elastomer in an amount of about 10% to about85% by weight of the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention said chewing gum comprises said atleast one further synthetic elastomer in an amount of about 20% to about85% by weight of the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises bulksweetener in an amount from about 0.5% to about 95% of said chewing gum.

Bulk sweeteners include both sugar and sugarless components. Sugarsweeteners generally include saccharide-containing components commonlyknown in the chewing gum art, including but not limited to, sucrose,dextrose, maltose, dextrin, dried invert sugar, fructose, levulose,glactose, corn syrup solids, and the like, alone or in combination.Sugarless sweeteners include, but are not limited to, sugar alcoholssuch as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates,maltitol, and the like, alone or in combination.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises bulksweetener in an amount from about 20% to about 70% of said chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises bulksweetener in an amount from about 25% to about 65% of said chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises highintensity sweetener in an amount of less than 2% of said chewing gum.

High-intensity sweeteners in chewing gum typically may range from about0.01 to 0.60 by weight percent of the total composition.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum is provided with acoating.

In an embodiment of the invention the coating is selected from the groupconsisting of hard coating, soft coating and edible film-coating.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises coating inan amount of 0.1 to 95 percent by weight of a coated chewing gum piece.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises coating inan amount of 0.1 to 75 percent by weight of a coated chewing gum piece.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises one or moreflavoring agents.

In some embodiments of the invention, a chewing gum may contain aromaagents and flavoring agents including natural and synthetic flavoringse.g. in the form of natural vegetable components, essential oils,essences, extracts, powders, including acids and other substancescapable of affecting the taste profile. Examples of liquid and powderedflavorings include coconut, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, grape fruit,orange, lime, menthol, liquorice, caramel aroma, honey aroma, peanut,walnut, cashew, hazelnut, almonds, pineapple, strawberry, raspberry,tropical fruits, cherries, cinnamon, peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint,eucalyptus, and mint, fruit essence such as from apple, pear, peach,strawberry, apricot, raspberry, cherry, pineapple, and plum essence. Theessential oils include peppermint, spearmint, menthol, eucalyptus, cloveoil, bay oil, anise, thyme, cedar leaf oil, nutmeg, and oils of thefruits mentioned above.

The chewing gum flavor may be a natural flavoring agent, which isfreeze-dried, preferably in the form of a powder, slices or pieces orcombinations thereof. The particle size may be less than 3 mm,preferably less than 2 mm or more preferred less than 1 mm, calculatedas the longest dimension of the particle. The natural flavoring agentmay in a form where the particle size is from about 3 μm to 2 mm, suchas from 4 μm to 1 mm. Preferred natural flavoring agents include seedsfrom fruit e.g. from strawberry, blackberry and raspberry.

Various synthetic flavors, such as mixed fruit flavors may also be usedin the present chewing gum centers. As indicated above, the aroma agentmay be used in quantities smaller than those conventionally used. Thearoma agents and/or flavors may be used in the amount from 0.01 to about30% by weight of the final product depending on the desired intensity ofthe aroma and/or flavor used. Preferably, the content of aroma/flavor isin the range of 0.1 to 5% by weight of the total composition.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum further comprises oneor more active ingredients.

According to an embodiment of the invention, applicable activeingredients may be selected among those listed in the detaileddescription.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises from about 0to 50% by weight of the chewing gum of filler, preferably 5-20% byweight of the chewing gum.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum is center-filled.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum is a compressedchewing gum made by tabletting.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprisesbiodegradable elastomers and resins.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises one or morecooling agents.

Suitable cooling agents include: substituted p-menthanes, substitutedp-menthane-carboxamides (e.g., N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide (FEMA3455)), acyclic carboxamides, substituted cyclohexanamides, substitutedcyclohexane carboxamides, substituted ureas and sulphonamides, andsubstituted menthanols, hydroxymethyl and hydroxyethyl derivatives ofp-menthane, menthyl succinate, 2-mercapto-cyclo-decanone,2-isopropanyl-5-methylcyclohexanol, hydroxycarboxylic acids with 2-6carbon atoms, menthone glycerol ketals, 3-1-menthoxypropane-1,2-diol andmenthyl lactate.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum comprises one or morewarming agents.

Physiological warming agents to be used in a chewing gum may include:vanillyl alcohol n-butyl ether, vanillyl alcohol n-propyl ether,vanillyl alcohol isopropyl ether, vanillyl alcohol isobutyl ether,vanillyl alcohol isoamyl ether, vanillyl alcohol n-hexyl ether, vanillylalcohol methyl ether, vanillyl alcohol ethyl ether, vanillyl alcoholn-amino ether, gingerol, zingerone, capsaicin, shogaol, paradol,dihydrocapsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin, homocapsaicin,homodihydrocapsaicin, ethanol, iso-propyl alcohol, iso-amylalcohol,benzyl alcohol, chloroform, eugenol, cinnamon oil, cinnamic aldehyde,and phosphate derivatives thereof. The phosphate derivatives aredescribed and can be found in WO 97/02273, hereby incorporated byreference.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum is granulated.

In an embodiment of the invention the chewing gum is in powder form.

In an embodiment of the invention the gum base comprises filler.

In an embodiment of the invention the gum base is granulated.

Granulated gum base may e.g. be used for tabletting, e.g. when mixedwith further chewing gum ingredients such as sweeteners and furtheringredients typically added to gum base in order to obtained the finalchewing gum. The gum base granules have advantageous texture andprocessing properties.

In an embodiment of the invention the gum base is in powder form.

Moreover the invention relates to the use of polyethylene in a chewinggum according to any of the claims 1-56.

Moreover the invention relates to the use of polyethylene as anelastomer in a chewing gum according to any of the claims 1-56.

Moreover the invention relates to the method of manufacturing chewinggum granules for tabletting, the method comprising the steps ofproviding a chewing gum substance according to any of the claims 1-56and granulating the substance into chewing gum granules.

Although the chewing gum substance according to the invention is verysuitable for processing and in particular very suitable for granulation,the granulation may advantageously be performed on a chewing substancewhich has been cooled to less than +10° C., preferably less than 0° C.

Moreover the invention relates to the method of manufacturing a chewinggum wherein the chewing gum is formed by a tabletting process on thebasis of chewing gum granules and wherein the chewing gum granulescomprise chewing gum according to any of the claims 1-56.

Moreover the invention relates to the method of manufacturing a chewinggum wherein the chewing gum is formed by a tabletting process on thebasis of chewing gum in powder form and wherein the chewing gum inpowder form comprises chewing gum according to any of the claims 1-56.

In general, a chewing gum composition typically comprises awater-soluble bulk portion, a water-insoluble chewable gum base portionand flavoring agents. The water-soluble portion dissipates with aportion of the flavoring agent over a period of time during chewing. Thegum base portion is retained in the mouth throughout the chew. The term“chewing gum” refers to both a chewing and bubble type gum in itsgeneral sense.

Unless otherwise indicated, as used herein with regard to polymers, theterm “molecular weight” means weight average molecular weight (Mw) ing/mol. Furthermore, as used herein the short form PD designates thepolydispersity of polymers, polydispersity being defined as Mw/Mn, whereMn is the number average molecular weight of a polymer. Awell-established technique for characterization of biodegradablepolymers is gel permeation chromatography (GPC).

The gum base is the masticatory substance of the chewing gum, whichimparts the chew characteristics to the final product. The gum basetypically defines the release profile of flavors and sweeteners andplays a significant role in the gum product.

The insoluble portion of the gum typically may contain any combinationof elastomers, elastomer plasticizers, waxes, softeners, fillers andother optional ingredients such as colorants and antioxidants. Anelastomer plasticizer may also generally be referred to as a resin or asa resinous compound.

The composition of gum base formulations can vary substantiallydepending on the particular product to be prepared and on the desiredmasticatory and other sensory characteristics of the final product.

A gum base formulation may e.g. comprise from 1 to 80% elastomericcompounds, 2 to 85% elastomer plasticizers, 0 to 60% waxes, 5 to 65%softeners including emulsifiers, 0 to 70% fillers, and 0 to 35%miscellaneous ingredients such as antioxidants, colorants, etc. However,typical ranges (% by weight of the gum base) of the above gum basecomponents are: 1 to 5.0% elastomeric compounds, 5 to 55% elastomerplasticizers, 0 to 40% waxes, 5 to 35% softeners, 0 to 50% fillers, and0 to 5% miscellaneous ingredients such as antioxidants, colorants, etc.The gum base may comprise about 5 to about 95 percent, by weight, of thechewing gum, more commonly; the gum base comprises 10 to about 60percent of the gum. Elastomers provide the rubbery, cohesive nature tothe gum, which varies depending on these ingredients' chemical structureand how it may be compounded with other ingredients. Elastomers suitablefor use in some embodiments of gum bases and chewing gums may includenatural or synthetic types.

According to the invention, polyethylene may in fact be applied as asignificant elastomer in chewing gum when combined with one or moreother synthetic elastomer(s).

Polyethylene is created through polymerization of ethylene, and istypically classified according to the density of the polymers. Preferredclasses to be used according to the present invention is LDPE (lowdensity PE), MDPE (medium density PE), VLDPE (very low density PE) andLLDPE (linear low density PE, which is actually a copolymer primarilymade of ethylene monomers and with a small fraction of short chainalpha-olefines such as for example 1-butene, 1-hexene etc). Theseclasses have densities for polyethylenes lying in the range of about0.880 g/cm³ to about 0.940 g/cm³.

Additional elastomers besides PE may be any water-insoluble polymerknown in the art, and includes those polymers utilized for chewing gumand bubble gum listed in U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CFR, Title21, Section 172,615, as “Masticatory Substances of Natural VegetableOrigin” and “Masticatory Substances, Synthetic”, the contents of whichare incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Useful natural elastomers include natural rubber such as smoked orliquid latex and guayule, natural gums such as jelutong, lechi caspi,perillo, sorva, massaranduba balata, massaranduba chocolate, nispero,rosidinha, chicle, gutta percha, gutta kataiu, niger gutta, tunu,chilte, chiquibul, gutta hang kang.

Useful synthetic elastomers include high molecular weight elastomerssuch as butadiene-styrene copolymers, polyisoprene, polyisobutylene andisobutylene-isoprene copolymers, low molecular weight elastomers such aspolybutene, polybutadiene and polyisobutylene, vinyl polymericelastomers such as PVA, polyethylene, vinyl copolymeric elastomers suchas vinyl acetate/vinyl laurate, vinyl acetate/vinyl stearate,ethylene/vinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol or mixtures thereof.

Butadiene-styrene type elastomers (SBR) typically are copolymers of fromabout 20:80 to 60:40 styrene:butadiene monomers. The ratio of thesemonomers affects the elasticity of the SBR as evaluated by mooneyviscosity. As the styrene:butadiene ratio decreases, the mooneyviscosity decreases.

The structure of SBR typically consists of straight chain 1,3-butadienecopolymerized with phenylethylene (styrene) and provides the non-linearmolecular nature of these elastomers. The average molecular weight ofSBR is <600,000 g/mol.

Isobutylene-isoprene type elastomers (butyl rubber) have molar percentlevels of isoprene ranging from 0,2 to 4,0. Similar to SBR, as theisoprene:isobutylene ratio decreases, so does the elasticity, measuredby mooney viscosity.

The structure of butyl rubber typically consists of branched2-methyl-1,3-butadiene (isoprene) copolymerized with branched2-methylpropene (isobutylene), and, as with SBR, this type of structureis non-linear in nature. The average molecular weight of butyl rubber isin the range from 150,000 g/mole to 1,000,000 g/mole.

Polyisobutylene (PIB) as with SBR and butyl, is also non-linear innature. The low molecular weight elastomers provide soft chewcharacteristics to the polymer system and still provide the elasticqualities as do the other elastomers. Average molecular weights mayrange from about 30,000 to 120,000 g/mole and the penetration may rangefrom about 4 millimeters to 20 millimeters. The higher the penetration,the softer the PIB. Similar to the SBR and butyl, the high molecularweight elastomers provide elasticity of the gum. Average molecularweight may range from 120,000 to 1,000,000 g/mole.

Vinyl copolymeric types of polymers may also be applied as asupplementary polymer of the gum base. For vinyl copolymeric types, theamount of vinyl laurate, vinyl stearate, or ethylene present in thevinyl laurate/vinyl acetate (VL/VA), vinyl stearate/vinyl acetate(VS/VA), or ethylene/vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers respectivelytypically ranges from about 10 to about 60 percent by weight of thecopolymer. Average molecular weights of these polymers may range fromabout 2,000 g/mole to about 100,000 g/mole.

The vinyl polymers as polyvinyl alcohol and PVA may have an averagemolecular weight from about 8,000 g/mole to about 65,000 g/mole.

Elastomer plasticizers vary the firmness of the gum base. Theirspecificity on elastomer inter-molecular chain breaking (plasticizing)along with their varying softening points cause varying degrees offinished gum firmness and compatibility when used in base. This may beimportant when one wants to provide more elastomeric chain exposure tothe alkanic chains of the waxes.

In some embodiments, further polymeric or non-polymeric plasticizers maybe applied such as triacetin, acetylated mono- and di- and triglyceridesof short chain fatty acids, acetylated mono- and di- and triglyceridesof medium chain fatty acids, acetylated monoglycerides of long chainfatty acids, glycerol ester of rosin and low molecular weight PVA. Thetwo latter may also be referred to as a natural and synthetic resin,respectively, within the art.

The elastomer plasticizers used may be of one type or of combinations ofmore than one type. Typically, the ratios of one to the other aredependent on each respective softening point, the effect on flavorrelease, and the respective degree of tack they cause to the gum. Theabove mentioned elastomer plasticizers may also be referred to asconventional resins in the following description.

Examples of such synthetic resins include PVA, vinyl acetate-vinyllaurate copolymers and mixtures thereof. Examples of syntheticelastomers include, but are not limited to, synthetic elastomers listedin U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CFR, Title 21, Section 172,615,the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for allpurposes.

Examples of natural resins are: Natural rosin esters, often referred toas ester gums including as examples glycerol esters of partiallyhydrogenated rosins, glycerol esters of polymerized rosins, glycerolesters of partially dimerised rosins, glycerol esters of tally oilrosins, pentaerythritol esters of partially hydrogenated rosins, methylesters of rosins, partially hydrogenated methyl esters of rosins,pentaerythritol esters of rosins, synthetic resins such as terpeneresins derived from alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and/or d-limonene, andnatural terpene resins.

It is common in the industry to combine in a gum base a syntheticelastomer having a high molecular weight and a synthetic elastomerhaving a low molecular weight. Examples of such combinations of arepolyisobutylene and styrene-butadiene, polyisobutylene and polyisoprene,polyisobutylene and isobutylene-isoprene co-polymer (butyl rubber) and acombination of polyisobutylene, styrene-butadiene copolymer andisobutylene isoprene copolymer, and all of the above individualsynthetic polymers in admixture with PVA, vinyl acetate-vinyl lauratecopolymers, respectively and mixtures thereof.

In accordance with the general principles in manufacturing a chewing gumwithin the scope of the invention, variations of different suitableingredients are listed and explained below.

In some embodiments the chewing gum may comprise coloring agents.According to an embodiment of the invention, the chewing gum maycomprise color agents and whiteners such as FD&C-type dyes and lakes,fruit and vegetable extracts, titanium dioxide and combinations thereof.

Further useful chewing gum base components include antioxidants, e.g.butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), butyl hydroxyanisol (BHA), propylgallateand tocopherols, and preservatives.

In an embodiment of the invention, the chewing gum comprises softenersin an amount of about 0 to about 18% by weight of the chewing gum, moretypically about 0 to about 12% by weight of the chewing gum.

Waxes may be optional depending on the properties of the individualformulations. Petroleum waxes aid in the curing of the finished chewinggum as well as improve shelf-life and texture. Wax crystal sizeinfluences the release of flavor. Those waxes high in iso-alkanes have asmaller crystal size than those waxes high in normal-alkanes, especiallythose with normal-alkanes of carbon numbers less than 30. The smallercrystal size allows slower release of flavor since there is morehindrance of the flavor's escape from this wax versus a wax havinglarger crystal sizes. The compatibility of polymer systems made usingnormal-alkanic waxes is less when compared to polymer systems made withiso-alkanic waxes.

Waxes and fats may moreover be used for the adjustment of theconsistency and for softening of the chewing gum base when preparingchewing gum bases.

Petroleum wax (refined paraffin and microcrystalline wax) and paraffinwax is composed of mainly straight-chained normal-alkanes and branchediso-alkanes. The ratio of normal-alkanes to iso-alkanes varies.

The normal-alkanic waxes typically have carbon chain lengths >C-18 butthe lengths are not predominantly longer than C-30. The branched andring structures are located near the end of the chain for those waxesthat are predominantly normal-alkanic. The viscosity of normal-alkanicwaxes is <10 mm2/s (at 100° C.) and the combined number averagemolecular weight is <600 g/mole.

The iso-alkanic waxes typically have carbon lengths that arepredominantly greater than C-30. The branched chains and ring structuresare located randomly along the carbon chain in those waxes that arepredominantly iso-alkanic. The viscosity of iso-alkanic waxes is greaterthan 10 mm2/s (at 100° C.) and the combined number average molecularweight is >600 g/mole.

Synthetic waxes are produced by means atypical of petroleum waxproduction and thus are not considered petroleum wax. The syntheticwaxes may include waxes containing branched alkanes and copolymerizedwith monomers such as but not limited to propylene and polyethylene andFischer Tropsch type waxes. Polyethylene wax is a synthetic waxcontaining alkane units of varying lengths having attached theretoethylene monomers.

The natural waxes may include rice bran wax, bees' wax, carnauba wax orcandelilla wax.

In some embodiments, any conventionally used and suitable type of waxand fat may be used, such as for instance rice bran wax, polyethylenewax, petroleum wax (refined paraffin and microcrystalline wax),paraffin, beeswax, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, cocoa butter, degreasedcocoa powder and any suitable oil or fat, as e.g. completely orpartially hydrogenated vegetable oils or completely or partiallyhydrogenated animal fats.

Softeners/emulsifiers may in some embodiments be added both in thechewing gum and the gum base.

The selection of softeners has an influence on the softness of the base.Softeners modify the texture, cause the hydrophobic and hydrophiliccomponents of the base to be miscible, and may further plasticize thesynthetic polymers of the polymer system. The emulsifiers, which belongto the group of softeners, provide the polymer system with water-bindingproperties, which confer to the polymer system a pleasant smooth surfaceand reduce its adhesive properties.

Softeners suitable for use in the polymer system include triglyceridesof non-hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated and fully hydrogenatedvegetable oils and tallow, cocoa butter and degreased cocoa powder andin addition to these the emulsifiers.

The group of triglycerides includes cottonseed, palm, palm kernel,coconut, safflower, rapeseed, sunflower, tallow, soybean, cocoa butter,medium chained triglycerides and the like.

The caproic, caprylic, capric, myristic, lauric and palmitic fatty acidsof the triglycerides tend to plasticize the synthetic elastomers morethan triglycerides containing predominantly stearic fatty acid.

To the group of emulsifiers belong the monoglycerides, diglycerides,acetylated mono and diglycerides, distilled mono- and diglycerides,glycerol monostearate, propylene glycol monostearate, Na-, K-, Mg- andCa-stearates, glycerol triacetate, fatty acid monoglycerides (e.g.stearic, palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids), lactic acid esters andacetic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides, sugar esters of ediblefatty acids also referred to as sucrose polyesters including thosedisclosed in WO 00/25598 hereby included by reference, lecithin andhydroxylated lecithin, most of these may contain triglyceride levelsless than 2 percent by weight from their manufacturing processing.

The softeners including the emulsifiers may be used alone or at leasttwo or more in combination.

Fillers used in polymer system modify the texture of the polymer systemand aid in processing. Particle size has an effect on cohesiveness,density and processing characteristics of the polymer system and itscompounding. The smaller the particle size, the more dense and cohesivethe final polymer system. Also, by selecting fillers based on theirparticle size distribution, initial mass compounding may be varied, thusallowing alteration of the compounding characteristics of the initialmass during polymer system processing and ultimately the final chewcharacteristics of gums made from these polymer systems.

Fillers suitable for use in the polymer system include magnesium andcalcium carbonate, ground limestone and silicate types such as magnesiumand aluminum silicate, kaolin and clay, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide,talc, as well as titanium oxide, mono-, di- and tricalcium phosphate,sodium sulphate, cellulose polymers such as ethyl, methyl and wood ormixtures thereof.

Talc filler may be used in embodiments of gum bases and chewing gumsthat may come in contact with or employ acid flavors or provide anacidic environment needed to prevent degradation of an artificialsweetener by reacting with calcium carbonate type fillers. Mean particlesize for calcium carbonate and talc fillers typically range from about0.1 micron to about 15 microns.

The fillers may also include natural organic fibers such as fruitvegetable fibers, grain, rice, cellulose and combinations thereof.

In an embodiment of the invention, the chewing gum comprises filler inan amount of about 0 to about 50% by weight of the chewing gum, moretypically about 5 to about 20% by weight of the chewing gum.

In addition to a, typically, water insoluble gum base portion, a typicalchewing gum according to the invention includes a water soluble bulkportion and one or more flavoring agents. The water-soluble portion mayinclude bulk sweeteners, high intensity sweeteners, flavoring agents,softeners, emulsifiers, colors, acidulants, fillers, antioxidants, andother components that provide desired attributes.

Suitable bulk sweeteners include both sugar and non-sugar sweeteningcomponents. Bulk sweeteners typically constitute from about 5 to about95% by weight of the chewing gum, more typically about 20 to about 80%by weight such as 30 to 60% by weight of the gum.

Useful sugar sweeteners are saccharide-containing components commonlyknown in the chewing gum art including, but not limited to, sucrose,dextrose, maltose, dextrins, trehalose, D-tagatose, dried invert sugar,fructose, levulose, galactose, corn syrup solids, and the like, alone orin combination.

Sorbitol can be used as a non-sugar sweetener. Other useful non-sugarsweeteners include, but are not limited to, other sugar alcohols such asmannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, maltitol, isomalt,erythritol, lactitol and the like, alone or in combination.

High-intensity artificial sweetening agents can also be used alone or incombination with the above sweeteners. Preferred high-intensitysweeteners include, but are not limited to sucralose, aspartame, saltsof acesulfame, alitame, neotame, twinsweet, saccharin and its salts,cyclamic acid and its salts, glycyrrhizin, dihydrochalcones, thaumatin,monellin, stevioside and the like, alone or in combination. In order toprovide longer lasting sweetness and flavor perception, it may bedesirable to encapsulate or otherwise control the release of at least aportion of the artificial sweetener. Techniques such as wet granulation,wax granulation, spray drying, spray chilling, fluid bed coating,coascervation, encapsulation in yeast cells and fiber extrusion may beused to achieve the desired release characteristics. Encapsulation ofsweetening agents can also be provided using another chewing gumcomponent such as a resinous compound.

Usage level of the high intensity artificial sweetener will varyconsiderably and will depend on factors such as potency of thesweetener, rate of release, desired sweetness of the product, level andtype of flavor used and cost considerations. Thus, the active level ofhigh potency artificial sweetener may vary from about 0 to about 8% byweight, preferably 0.001 to about 5% by weight. When carriers used forencapsulation are included, the usage level of the encapsulatedsweetener will be proportionately higher.

Combinations of sugar and/or non-sugar sweeteners can be used in thechewing gum formulation processed in accordance with the invention.Additionally, the softener may also provide additional sweetness such asaqueous sugar or alditol solutions.

If a low-calorie gum is desired, a low-caloric bulking agent can beused. Examples of low caloric bulking agents include polydextrose,Raftilose, Raftilin, fructooligosaccharides (NutraFlora®), palatinoseoligosaccharides; guar gum hydrolysates (e.g. Sun Fiber®) orindigestible dextrins (e.g. Fibersol®). However, other low-caloriebulking agents can be used.

In some embodiments, a chewing gum may contain aroma agents andflavoring agents including natural and synthetic flavorings e.g. in theform of natural vegetable components, essential oils, essences,extracts, powders, including acids and other substances capable ofaffecting the taste profile. Examples of liquid and powdered flavoringsinclude coconut, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, grape fruit, orange, lime,menthol, liquorice, caramel aroma, honey aroma, peanut, walnut, cashew,hazelnut, almonds, pineapple, strawberry, raspberry, tropical fruits,cherries, cinnamon, peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint, eucalyptus, andmint, fruit essence such as from apple, pear, peach, strawberry,apricot, raspberry, cherry, pineapple, and plum essence. The essentialoils include peppermint, spearmint, menthol, eucalyptus, clove oil, bayoil, anise, thyme, cedar leaf oil, nutmeg, and oils of the fruitsmentioned above.

The chewing gum flavor may be a natural flavoring agent, which isfreeze-dried, preferably in the form of a powder, slices or pieces orcombinations thereof. The particle size may be less than 3 mm, less than2 mm or more preferred less than 1 mm, calculated as the longestdimension of the particle. The natural flavoring agent may in a formwhere the particle size is from about 3 μm to 2 mm, such as from 4 μm to1 mm. Preferred natural flavoring agents include seeds from fruit e.g.from strawberry, blackberry and raspberry.

Various synthetic flavors, such as mixed fruit flavors may also be usedin the present chewing gum centers. As indicated above, the aroma agentmay be used in quantities smaller than those conventionally used. Thearoma agents and/or flavors may be used in the amount from 0.01 to about30% by weight of the final product depending on the desired intensity ofthe aroma and/or flavor used. Preferably, the content of aroma/flavor isin the range of 0.2 to 3% by weight of the total composition.

In an embodiment of the invention, the flavoring agents comprise naturaland synthetic flavorings in the form of natural vegetable components,essential oils, essences, extracts, powders, including acids and othersubstances capable of affecting the taste profile.

Further chewing gum ingredients, which may be included in someembodiments, include surfactants and/or solubilizers, especially whenpharmaceutically or biologically active ingredients are present. Asexamples of types of surfactants to be used as solubilizers in a chewinggum composition according to an embodiment of the invention, referenceis made to H. P. Fiedler, Lexikon der Hilfstoffe für Pharmacie, Kosmetikund Angrenzende Gebiete, pages 63-64 (1981) and the lists of approvedfood emulsifiers of the individual countries. Anionic, cationic,amphoteric or non-ionic solubilizers can be used. Suitable solubilizersinclude lecithin, polyoxyethylene stearate, polyoxyethylene sorbitanfatty acid esters, fatty acid salts, mono and diacetyl tartaric acidesters of mono and diglycerides of edible fatty acids, citric acidesters of mono and diglycerides of edible fatty acids, saccharose estersof fatty acids, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, polyglycerol estersof interesterified castor oil acid (E476), sodium stearoyllatylate,sodium lauryl sulfate and sorbitan esters of fatty acids andpolyoxyethylated hydrogenated castor oil (e.g. the product sold underthe trade name CREMOPHOR), block copolymers of ethylene oxide andpropylene oxide (e.g. products sold under trade names PLURONIC andPOLOXAMER), polyoxyethylene fatty alcohol ethers, polyoxyethylenesorbitan fatty acid esters, sorbitan esters of fatty acids andpolyoxyethylene steraric acid esters.

Particularly suitable solubilizers are polyoxyethylene stearates, suchas for instance polyoxyethylene(8)stearate andpolyoxyethylene(40)stearate, the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acidesters sold under the trade name TWEEN, for instance TWEEN 20(monolaurate), TWEEN 80 (monooleate), TWEEN 40 (monopalmitate), TWEEN 60(monostearate) or TWEEN 65 (tristearate), mono and diacetyl tartaricacid esters of mono and diglycerides of edible fatty acids, citric acidesters of mono and diglycerides of edible fatty acids, sodiumstearoyllatylate, sodium laurylsulfate, polyoxyethylated hydrogenatedcastor oil, blockcopolymers of ethylene oxide and propyleneoxide andpolyoxyethylene fatty alcohol ether. The solubilizer may either be asingle compound or a combination of several compounds. In the presenceof an active ingredient, the chewing gum may preferably also comprise acarrier known in the art.

Emulsifiers, which are used as softeners may include tallow,hydrogenated tallow, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetableoils, cocoa butter, glycerol monostearate, glycerol triacetate,lecithin, mono-, di- and triglycerides, acetylated monoglycerides, fattyacids (e.g. stearic, palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids), andcombinations thereof.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the chewing gum maycomprise a pharmaceutically, cosmetically or biologically activesubstance. Examples of such active substances, a comprehensive list ofwhich is found e.g. in WO 00/25598, which is incorporated herein byreference.

The active agents to be used in some embodiments may be any substancedesired to be released from the chewing gum. If an accelerated rate ofrelease is desired, corresponding to the effect obtained for the flavor,the primary substances are those with limited water solubility,typically below 10 g/100 ml including substances which are entirelywater insoluble. Examples are medicines, dietary supplements, oralcompositions, anti-smoking agents, highly potent sweeteners, pHadjusting agents, etc.

Further examples of active ingredients include paracetamol, benzocaine,cinnarizine, menthol, carvone, caffeine, chlorhexidine-di-acetate,cyclizine hydrochloride, 1,8-cineol, nandrolone, miconazole, mystatine,aspartame, sodium fluoride, nicotine, saccharin, cetylpyridiniumchloride, other quaternary ammonium compounds, vitamin E, vitamin A,vitamin D, glibenclamide or derivatives thereof, progesterone,acetylsalicylic acid, dimenhydrinate, cyclizine, metronidazole, sodiumhydrogencarbonate, the active components from ginkgo, the activecomponents from propolis, the active components from ginseng, methadone,oil of peppermint, salicylamide, hydrocortisone or astemizole.

Examples of active agents in the form of dietary supplements are forinstance salts and compounds having the nutritive effect of vitamin B2(riboflavin), B12, folic acid, niacine, biotine, poorly solubleglycerophosphates, amino acids, the vitamins A, D, E and K, minerals inthe form of salts, complexes and compounds containing calcium,phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, iodine, manganese, chromium,selenium, molybdenum, potassium, sodium or cobalt.

Furthermore, reference is made to lists of nutritients accepted by theauthorities in different countries such as for instance U.S. code ofFederal Regulations, Title 21, Section 182.5013.182 5997 and182.8013-182.8997, the contents of which are incorporated herein byreference for all purposes.

Examples of active agents in the form of compounds for the care ortreatment of the oral cavity and the teeth, are for instance boundhydrogen peroxide and compounds capable of releasing urea duringchewing.

Examples of active agents in the form of antiseptics are for instancesalts and compounds of guanidine and biguanidine (for instancechlorhexidine diacetate) and the following types of substances withlimited water-solubility: quaternary ammonium compounds (for instanceceramine, chloroxylenol, crystal violet, chloramine), aldehydes (forinstance paraformaldehyde), compounds of dequaline, polynoxyline,phenols (for instance thyrol, para chlorophenol, cresol)hexachlorophene, salicylic anilide compounds, triclosan, halogenes(iodine, iodophores, chloroamine, dichlorocyanuric acid salts), alcools(3,4 dichlorobenzyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol,phenylethanol), cf. furthermore Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia,28th edition, page 547-578; metal salts, complexes and compounds withlimited water-solubility, such as aluminum salts, (for instance aluminumpotassium sulfate AlK (SO₄) 2, 12H₂O) and furthermore salts, complexesand compounds of boron, barium, strontium, iron, calcium, zinc, (zincacetate, zinc chloride, zinc gluconate), copper (copper chloride, coppersulfate), lead, silver, magnesium, sodium, potassium, lithium,molybdenum, vanadium should be included; other compositions for the careof mouth and teeth: for instance; salts, complexes and compoundscontaining fluorine (such as sodium fluoride, sodiummonofluorophosphate,aminofluorides, stannous fluoride), phosphates, carbonates and selenium.

For additional compounds, see J. Dent. Res. Vol. 28 No. 2, page 160-171,1949, wherein a wide range of tested compounds are mentioned, thecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Examples of active agents in the form of agents adjusting the pH in theoral cavity include for instance: acceptable acids, such as adipinicacid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, or salts thereof or salts of citricacid, tartaric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, phosphoricacid and glutaric acid and acceptable bases, such as carbonates,hydrogen carbonates, phosphates, sulfates or oxides of sodium,potassium, ammonium, magnesium or calcium, especially magnesium andcalcium.

Examples of active agents in the form of anti-smoking agents include forinstance: nicotine, tobacco powder or silver salts, for instance silveracetate, silver carbonate and silver nitrate.

Further examples of active agents are medicines of any type.

Examples of active agents in the form of medicines include caffeine,salicylic acid, salicyl amide and related substances (acetylsalicylicacid, choline salicylate, magnesium salicylate, sodium salicylate),paracetamol, salts of pentazocine (pentazocine hydrochloride andpentazocinelactate), buprenorphine hydrochloride, codeine hydrochlorideand codeine phosphate, morphine and morphine salts (hydrochloride,sulfate, tartrate), methadone hydrochloride, ketobemidone and salts ofketobemidone (hydrochloride), beta-blockers, (propranolol), calciumantagonists, verapamil hydrochloride, nifedinpine as well as suitablesubstances and salts thereof mentioned in Pharm. Int., November 85,pages 267-271, Barney H. Hunter and Robert L. Talbert, nitroglycerine,erythrityl tetranitrate, strychnine and salts thereof, lidocaine,tetracaine hydrochloride, etorphine hydrochloride, atropine, insulin,enzymes (for instance papain, trypsin, amyloglucosidase. glucoseoxidase,streptokinase, streptodomase, dextranase, alpha amylase), polypeptides(oxytocin, gonadorelin, (LH. RH), desmopressin acetate (DDAVP),isoxsuprine hydrochloride, ergotamine compounds, chloroquine (phosphate,sulfate), isosorbide, demoxytocin, heparin.

Other active ingredients include beta-lupeol, Letigen, Sildenafilcitrate and derivatives thereof.

Dental products include Carbami, CPP Caseine Phospho Peptide;Chlorhexidine, Chlorhexidine di acetate, Chlorhexidine Chloride,Chlorhexidine di gluconate, Hexetedine, Strontium chloride, PotassiumChloride, Sodium bicarbonate, Sodium carbonate, Fluor containingingredients, Fluorides, Sodium fluoride, Aluminum fluoride, Ammoniumfluoride, Calcium fluoride, Stannous fluoride, Other fluor containingingredients Ammonium fluorosilicate, Potasium fluorosilicate, Sodiumfluorosilicate, Ammonium monofluorphosphate, Calcium monofluorphosphate,Potassium monofluorphosphate, Sodium monofluorphosphate, OctadecentylAmmonium fluoride, Stearyl Trihydroxyethyl PropylenediamineDihydrofluoride, Vitamins include A, B1, B2, B6, B12, Folin acid,niacin, Pantothene acid, biotine, C, D, E, K.

Minerals include Calcium, phosphor, magnesium, iron, Zink, Cupper, lod,Mangan, Crom, Selene, Molybden. Other active ingredients include: Q10@,enzymes. Natural drugs including Ginkgo Biloba, ginger, and fish oil.The invention also relates to use of migraine drugs such as Serotoninantagonists: Sumatriptan, Zolmitriptan, Naratriptan, Rizatriptan,Eletriptan; nausea drugs such as Cyclizin, Cinnarizin, Dimenhydramin,Difenhydrinat; hay fever drugs such as Cetrizin, Loratidin, pain reliefdrugs such as Buprenorfin, Tramadol, oral disease drugs such asMiconazol, Amphotericin B, Triamcinolonaceton; and the drugs Cisaprid,Domperidon, Metoclopramid.

Active ingredients may comprise the below-mentioned compounds orderivates thereof but are not limited thereto: Acetaminophen,Acetylsalicylic acid Buprenorphine Bromhexin Celcoxib Codeine,Diphenhydramin, Diclofenac, Etoricoxib, Ibuprofen, Indometacin,Ketoprofen, Lumiracoxib, Morphine, Naproxen, Oxycodon, Parecoxib,Piroxicam, Pseudoefedrin, Rofecoxib, Tenoxicam, Tramadol, Valdecoxib,Calciumcarbonat, Magaldrate, Disulfiram, Bupropion, Nicotine,Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, Clotrimazole, Erythromycin, Tetracycline,Granisetron, Ondansetron, Prometazin, Tropisetron, Brompheniramine,Ceterizin, leco-Ceterizin, Chlorcyclizine, Chlorpheniramin,Chlorpheniramin, Difenhydramine, Doxylamine, Fenofenadin, Guaifenesin,Loratidin, des-Loratidin, Phenyltoloxamine, Promethazin, Pyridamine,Terfenadin, Troxerutin, Methyldopa, Methylphenidate, Benzalcon.Chloride, Benzeth. Chloride, Cetylpyrid. Chloride, Chlorhexidine,Ecabet-sodium, Haloperidol, Allopurinol, Colchinine, Theophylline,Propanolol, Prednisolone, Prednisone, Fluoride, Urea, Miconazole, Actot,Glibenclamide, Glipizide, Metformin, Miglitol, Repaglinide,Rosiglitazone, Apomorfin, Cialis, Sildenafil, Vardenafil, Diphenoxylate,Simethicone, Cimetidine, Famotidine, Ranitidine, Ratinidine, cetrizin,Loratadine, Aspirin, Benzocaine, Dextrometorphan, Ephedrine,Phenylpropanolamine, Pseudoephedrine, Cisapride, Domperidone,Metoclopramide, Acyclovir, Dioctylsulfosucc., Phenolphtalein,Almotriptan, Eletriptan, Ergotamine, Migea, Naratriptan, Rizatriptan,Sumatriptan, Zolmitriptan, Aluminum salts, Calcium salts, Ferro salts,Silver salts, Zinc-salts, Amphotericin B, Chlorhexidine, Miconazole,Triamcinolonacetonid, Melatonine, Phenobarbitol, Caffeine,Benzodiazepiner, Hydroxyzine, Meprobamate, Phenothiazine, Buclizine,Brometazine, Cinnarizine, Cyclizine, Difenhydramine, Dimenhydrinate,Buflomedil, Amphetamine, Caffeine, Ephedrine, Orlistat, Phenylephedrine,Phenylpropanolamin, Pseudoephedrine, Sibutramin, Ketoconazole,Nitroglycerin, Nystatin, Progesterone, Testosterone, Vitamin B12,Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Pilocarpin,Aluminumaminoacetat, Cimetidine, Esomeprazole, Famotidine, Lansoprazole,Magnesiumoxide, Nizatide and or Ratinidine.

In an embodiment of the invention, the flavor may be used as tastemasking in chewing gum comprising active ingredients, which bythemselves have undesired taste or which alter the taste of theformulation.

The chewing gum may optionally contain usual additives, such as bindingagents, acidulants, fillers, coloring agents, preservatives, andantioxidants.

Materials to be used for the above-mentioned encapsulation methods forsweeteners might e.g. include Gelatine, Wheat protein, Soya protein,Sodium caseinate, Caseine, Gum arabic, Mod. starch, Hydrolyzed starches(maltodextrines), Alginates, Pectin, Carregeenan, Xanthan gum, Locusbean gum, Chitosan, Bees wax, Candelilla wax, Carnauba wax, Hydrogenatedvegetable oils, Zein and/or Sucrose.

In general, chewing gum may be manufactured by sequentially adding thevarious chewing gum ingredients to a commercially available mixer knownin the art.

A mixing of chewing gum and gum base may generally be performed by abatch or a continuous processing technique. An example of basicapplicable mixing principles is explained below.

After the initial ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, the chewinggum mass is discharged from the mixer and shaped into the desired formsuch as by rolling into sheets and cutting into sticks, extruded intochunks or casting into pellets.

Generally, the ingredients may be added and mixed in the running mixer.Colors, active agents and/or emulsifiers may also be added at this time.A softener such as glycerin may also be added at this time, along withsyrup and a portion of the bulking agent/sweetener. Further portions ofthe bulking agent/sweetener may then be added to the mixer. A flavoringagent is typically added with the final portion of the bulkingagent/sweetener. A high-intensity sweetener is preferably added afterthe final portion of bulking agent and flavor has been added.

The entire mixing procedure typically takes from five to fifteen min,but longer mixing times may sometimes be required. Those skilled in theart will recognize that many variations of the above described proceduremay be followed. Including the one-step method described in US patentapplication 2004/0115305 hereby incorporated by reference.

The final chewing gums are formed by extrusion, compression, rolling andmay be centre filled with liquids and/or solids in any form.

In some embodiments the chewing gum may be formed as conventionalpellets, centre filled, slabs, sticks, tape, beads, powders, etc.

A centre filled chewing gum may e.g. be made according to U.S. Pat. No.4,683,138, hereby incorporated by reference.

In some embodiments the chewing gum may also be provided with an outercoating, which may be a hard coating, a soft coating, a film coating, ora coating of any type that is known in the art, or a combination of suchcoatings. The coating may typically constitute 0.1 to 75 percent byweight of a coated chewing gum piece.

One preferred outer coating type is a hard coating, which term isincluding sugar coatings and sugar-free (or sugarless) coatings andcombinations thereof. The object of hard coating is to obtain a sweet,crunchy layer, which is appreciated by the consumer and to protect thegum centers. In a typical process of providing the chewing gum centerswith a protective sugar coating the gum centers are successively treatedin suitable coating equipment with aqueous solutions of crystallizablesugar such as sucrose or dextrose, which, depending on the stage ofcoating reached, may contain other functional ingredients, e.g. fillers,colors, etc.

In one presently preferred embodiment, the coating agent applied in ahard coating process is a sugarless coating agent, e.g. a polyolincluding as examples sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol,lactitol and isomalt or e.g. a mono-di-saccharide including as exampletrehalose.

Or alternatively a sugar free soft coating e.g. comprising alternatelyapplying to the centres a syrup of a polyol or a mono-di-saccharide,including as examples sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol,lactitol, isomalt and trehalose.

In further useful embodiments a film coating is provided by film-formingagents such as a cellulose derivative, a modified starch, a dextrin,gelatine, zein, shellec, gum arabic, a vegetable gum, a syntheticpolymer, etc. or a combination thereof.

In an embodiment of the invention, the outer coating comprises at leastone additive component selected from the group comprising of a bindingagent, a moisture-absorbing component, a film-forming agent, adispersing agent, an antisticking component, a bulking agent, aflavoring agent, a coloring agent, a pharmaceutically or cosmeticallyactive component, a lipid component, a wax component, a sugar, an acid.

A coated chewing gum center according to the invention may have anyform, shape or dimension that permits the chewing gum center to becoated using any conventional coating process.

In some embodiments the gum centre of coated chewing gum elements canhave any form, shape or dimension that permits the chewing gum centre tobe coated using any conventional coating process. Accordingly, the gumcentre may be e.g. in a form selected from a pellet, a cushion-shapedpellet, a stick, a tablet, a chunk, a pastille, a pill, a ball and asphere, and typically the weight of a gum center may be 0.2 to 8 grams,preferably between 0.5 to 5 grams.

The following non-limiting examples illustrate the manufacturing of achewing gum according to exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Example 1 Gum Base Formulations 001-010

TABLE 1 % Comparative Base Base Base Base Base Base Base Base Base Rawmaterials base 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 Syntheticelastomer 8 8 8 7 8 8 2 (butyl rubber) Synthetic high molecular 8 weightelastomer (PIB) Synthetic elastomer (SBR) 4 Synthetic elastomer 6(polyisoprene) PE elastomer 1 7 5 7 11 7 15 PE elastomer 2 8 PEelastomer 3 7 PE elastomer 4 7 Medium molecular weight 7 2 elastomer(PIB) Natural Resin 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 PVA 20 20 20 20 20 2020 20 20 20 Filler 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 Emulsifier 5 5 5 5 5 55 5 5 5 Fat 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

The applied gum base formulations were provided according to the valuesin table 1.

The comparative gum base 001 is a conventional gum base without added PEelastomers.

The PE elastomer 1 is a LDPE with Mw of about 99,000 g/mol.

The PE elastomer 2 is a LDPE with Mw of about 188,000 g/mol.

The PE elastomer 3 is a LLDPE with Mw of about 116,000 g/mol.

The PE elastomer 4 is a LDPE with Mw of about 10,000 g/mol.

Example 2 Chewing Gum Formulations 101-110

TABLE 2 All chewing gums were manufactured by the same recipe asindicated herein. Raw materials, % Chewing gum Gum base 40% Sorbitol45.6% Xylitol 6% Maltitol syrup 6% Peppermint 1.5% Menthol Crystals 0.5%Aspartame 0.2% Acesulfame-K 0.2% Gum base 001 corresponds to chewing gum101, 002 to 102 etc.

The applied chewing gum formulations are provided according to thevalues in table 2. The process of providing the chewing gums in table 2is disclosed below as a two step batch mixing process in example 3 and acontinuous mixing process in example 4.

Peppermint was added as flavor in all chewing gum formulations.Obviously any other flavor may be added within the scope of theinvention, such as strawberry, lemon, etc., and optionally the flavorsmay include flavor enhancing acids such as citric acid, malic acid andthe like.

Example 3 Batch Mixing

Batch Mixing of Gum Base

Ten gum bases for chewing gum were manufactured according to theformulation provided in example 1.

Ten gum bases, comparative base 001 and bases 002-010 were providedaccording to the following process. The gum bases were made in a batchmixer provided with mixing means like e.g. horizontally placed Z-shapedarms. The mixer had been preheated for 15 min to a temperature of about100-120° C.

For all gum bases, first the high Mw elastomer, PE, filler and half ofthe PVA are added and mixed for 25 min. The remaining part of the PVA isadded and mixed for another 5 min. Then the natural resin is added andmixed for another 10 min. The medium Mw elastomer is added (only bases001 and 003 and in base 006 the PE) and mixed for 10 min and finally thefat and emulsifier are slowly added and mixed for another 20 min.

Batch mixing of Chewing Gum:

Ten chewing gums were manufactured according to the formulation providedin table 2 of example 2. The chewing gum products were prepared asfollows:

Ten batches, one for each of the abovementioned chewing gums, were madein a batch mixer provided with mixing means like e.g. horizontallyplaced Z-shaped arms. The mixer had been preheated for 15 min to atemperature of about 40-60° C. An alternative applicable method would beto make the chewing gum in one step, immediately after preparation ofgum base in the same mixer where the gum base and mixer had atemperature of less than 60° C.

One half portion of the sorbitol was added together with the gum baseand mixed for about 6 min. Maltitol syrup was added and mixed well forabout 3 min. The remaining half portion of sorbitol was added and mixedfor 1 minute, and then the xylitol was added and mixed for about 4 min.

Peppermint flavor and menthol is then added to provide peppermintchewing gums. The flavor and menthol were added to the mixer and mixedfor about 4 min. Then aspartame and acesulfame were added to the mixerand mixed for 2 min. The resulting gum mixture was then discharged andtransferred to a pan at a temperature of 40-48° C. The gum was thenrolled and scored into cores. Other forms such as sticks, balls, cubesor any other desired shape could be applied as well, and optionallyfollowed by coating and polishing processes prior to packaging.

Example 4 Continuous Mixing

Continuous Mixing of Gum Base:

Continuous mixing may be performed as described in U.S. Pat. No.6,630,182, incorporated herein by reference.

An extruder apparatus, in this case a Leistritz co-rotational twin screwmixing extruder but the apparatus is not limiting for the invention, isused for the continuous mixing of chewing gum. The extruder is heredivided into 10 barrels/heating zones and the screw design is optimizedby proper combination of various screw elements including conveyingelements, reverse conveying elements, kneading discs and blocks, andmixing elements. For a further detailed description see e.g. U.S. Pat.No. 6,630,182 column 4. The mixing speed is 80-120 rpm and gravitational(loss in weight) feeders are used.

The 10 barrels have individual purposes as listed below:

Barrel 1. Adding of high Mw elastomer and/or PE, filler and half thePVA, T=25° C.

Barrel 2+3. Mixing and kneading, T=80° C.

Barrel 4. Adding rest of PVA and natural resin using a side feeder,T=120° C.

Barrel 5. Mixing, T=120° C.

Barrel 6. Adding medium Mw elastomer, T=120° C.

Barrel 7. Adding solid fat and emulsifier using a side feeder, T=120° C.

Barrel 8. Adding liquid fat, T=120° C.

Barrel 9+10. Mixing, T=120° C.

Following the mixing process, the gum base product is discharged to forma slab. Alternatively, the finished gum base can be run through apelletizing system. The resulting gum base is then ready to be used inthe manufacturing of the chewing gum as described next.

Continuous Mixing of Chewing Gum:

An extruder apparatus, in this case a Leistritz co-rotational twin screwmixing extruder but the apparatus is not limiting for the invention, isused for the continuous mixing of chewing gum. In the present examplethe extruder is divided into 10 barrels/heating zones and the screwdesign is optimized by proper combination of various screw elementsincluding conveying elements, reverse conveying elements, kneading discsand blocks, and mixing elements. For a further detailed description seee.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,182 column 4. The mixing speed is 80-120 rpmand gravitational (loss in weight) feeders are used.

The 10 barrels have individual purposes as listed below:

Barrel 1. Adding gum base and half the sorbitol, T=25° C.

Barrel 2+3. Mixing and kneading, T=40° C.

Barrel 4. Adding rest of sorbitol using a side feeder, T=40° C.

Barrel 5. Mixing, T=40° C.

Barrel 6. Adding maltitol syrup, T=40° C.

Barrel 7. Adding xylitol, aspartame, acesulfame in addition to menthol(peppermint gum) or malic acid and citric acid (strawberry gum) using aside feeder, T=40° C.

Barrel 8. Adding flavor (peppermint/strawberry), T=40° C.

Barrel 9+10. Mixing, T=40° C.

Following the mixing process the chewing gum product is discharged to berolled, scored etc.

Example 5 Evaluation of the Various Chewing Gums of Example 2

Chewing gum 102 is made on the basis of gum base 002. In comparison withthe comparative chewing gum 101 made on the basis of gum base 001, themedium molecular weight elastomer is replaced by PE elastomer with amolecular weight Mw of about 99,000.

A sensory evaluation test was carried out to compare the chewing gums101 and 102 with regard to softness, sweetness and elasticity.

FIG. 1 illustrates the result of the sensory evaluation test with regardto softness intensity. 101 is the comparative chewing gum and 102 is thechewing gum with medium molecular weight elastomer replaced with PE aselastomer.

The softness intensity profile for 102 is seen to be only slightly lowerthan 101 over the entire range. Actually an advantage is seen from 102in comparison with 101, that is that the softness over time decreasesfor the comparative chewing gum, whereas the softness intensity israther constant posterior to the initial chewing phase for the chewinggum comprising PE as elastomer.

FIG. 2 illustrates the result of the sensory evaluation test with regardto sweetness intensity.

The sweetness intensity graph shows that 102 has a faster sweetnessresponse when put into the mouth of the consumer. Although the sweetnessintensity for 102 is a little lower in the long run, the sweetnessintensity over the range is seen to be acceptable in a chewing gum.

FIG. 3 illustrates the result of the sensory evaluation test with regardto elasticity intensity.

Regarding elasticity it is seen that over the range the elasticity of101 and 102 is similar and hence a chewing gum with a high amount of PEelastomer is acceptable.

Chewing gums 103-105 are made on the basis of gum base 003-005. Theseshow that the samples comprising PE elastomer with Mw of 99,000, 188,000and 116,000 g/mol, respectively, were not differing much from chewinggum 102 with regard to chewing texture, rheology etc.

However, the sample 106 comprising PE elastomer with Mw of 10,000 g/molwas not successful. The chewing gum 106 did not possess the same textureproperties as sample 102. This low molecular weight PE resulted in anon-elastic chewing gum and a plastic feeling when chewing.

Chewing gums 107-109 are made on the basis of gum base 007-009. Thesesamples showed that synthetic elastomers chosen among butyl rubber, PIB,SBR and polyisoprene may advantageously be applied in combination withPE without loss of the advantages already discussed above with chewinggum 102.

Chewing gum 110 is made on the basis of gum base 010. This chewing gumcomprised 100% PE as the elastomeric content. This resulted in a chewinggum with unsatisfying elastic properties. Hence the application of PE aselastomer is advantageously combined with another synthetic elastomer.

It is moreover noted, that the chewing gum 103 showed that combinationsof more than one synthetic elastomer besides PE (here butyl rubbercombined with medium molecular weight PIB) are successful.

In total it is observed that a high percentage of polyethylene of thetotal elastomeric content of the chewing gum results in advantageousproperties regarding elasticity, release and rheology, provided that atleast a relatively small amount of other synthetic elastomers werepresent.

Example 6 Evaluation of Further Chewing Gums

Further variations of the Chewing gums of example 2 were tested.

A chewing gum comprising polyethylene as 80% of the elastomeric contentwas manufactured wherein the remaining 20% of the elastomeric contentwas butyl rubber. This amount of polyethylene in the chewing gum stillshowed advantageous by having good rheological properties and asatisfying release profile.

A chewing gum comprising 50% PE, 25% butyl rubber and 25% high molecularweight PIB (percent of the total elastomeric content of the chewing gum)was manufactured. This combination of three synthetic elastomers showedadvantageous and indicated that any combination of the further syntheticelastomers may be added to show advantageous results.

A chewing gum comprising polyethylene as 20% of the elastomeric contentwas manufactured wherein the remaining 80% of the elastomeric contentwas butyl rubber. This amount of polyethylene in the chewing gumresulted in a chewing gum with excellent properties, however thecost-reduction was not as advantageous as for higher amounts ofpolyethylene.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A chewing gum comprising a gum base havingan elastomer content comprising (A) at least one polyethylene (PE)polymer in an amount from about 30% to about 70% by weight of theelastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum, and (B) at least onesynthetic elastomer chosen from the group of polyisobutylene (FIB),butyl rubber, polyisoprene and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and anycombination of these, in an amount from about 20% to about 85% by weightof the elastomeric polymer content of said chewing gum; and wherein saidat least one polyethylene polymer has a molecular weight (Mw) above75,000 g/mol; and wherein said at least one polyethylene polymer ispresent in an amount from 2% to 15% by weight of the gum base; whereinsaid at least one polyethylene polymer is present in an amount from 1.5%to 4% by weight of the chewing gum; wherein said at least onepolyethylene polymer is chosen from the group consisting of low densitypolyethylene (LDPE), medium density polyethylene (MDPE), very lowdensity polyethylene (VLDPE) and linear low density polyethylene(LLDPE); wherein said at least one polyethylene polymer has a densitybetween 0.880 g/cm³ and 0.940 g/cm³; and wherein said at least onepolyethylene polymer has a crystallinity of less than 30% or isamorphous.
 2. The chewing gum according to claim 1, wherein said atleast one polyethylene polymer has a crystallinity of less than 10%. 3.The chewing gum according to claim 1, wherein said at least onepolyethylene polymer is amorphous.
 4. The chewing gum according to claim1, wherein the chewing gum further comprises synthetic and/or naturalresin in an amount of about 5 to about 70% of said gum base.
 5. Thechewing gum according to claim 1, wherein the chewing gum furthercomprises synthetic and/or natural resin in an amount of about 5 toabout 20% of said chewing gum.
 6. The chewing gum according to claim 5,wherein the resin is PVA or terpene resins or any combination thereof.7. The chewing gum according to claim 5, wherein the resin is ester gum.8. The chewing gum according to claim 5, wherein the synthetic and/ornatural resins have a molecular weight (Mn) of about 500 to about200,000 g/mol.
 9. The chewing gum according to claim 5, wherein thechewing gum comprises a mixture of synthetic and/or natural resins in aratio between 1:20 and 20:1.
 10. The chewing gum according to claim 1,wherein the at least one synthetic elastomer is butyl rubber.
 11. Thechewing gum according to claim 1, wherein the at least one syntheticelastomer is polyisoprene.
 12. The chewing gum according to claim 1,wherein the at least one synthetic elastomer is styrene butadiene rubber(SBR).
 13. The chewing gum according to claim 1, wherein the at leastone synthetic elastomer is polyisobutylene (PIB).